Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue

Nonprofit Issues:

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Mission:

Mickaboo was founded in 1996. Our mission is very simple: To provide protection for those who, by no fault or choice of their own cannot help themselves, and depend on humans for their care.

To ensure the highest quality of life for our companion birds.

To educate the bird owning public on the most current diet, health and general care information.

Geographic areas served:

Northern California, from the San Francisco Bay Area up to the Sacramento area.

Programs:

Mickaboo holds free, regularly scheduled bird education classes throughout the Bay Area. At the classes, we talk about proper avian diet and care, symptoms of illness, emergency first aid, the importance of vet care, general husbandry, taming and training, and dangers in the home. Mickaboo also offers special advanced bird care classes and seminars on topics such as foraging. Mickaboo also holds adoption fairs throughout the year, where the general public has a chance to come meet some of our wonderful birds.

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Reviews for Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue

I learned about Mickaboo from Pamela Lee and her passion and dedication to the rescue of injured or abandoned birds is admirable. I am impressed with the great compassion for these helpless birds and the success they have in restoring them to a normal life. Keep up the good work.

Mickaboo is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1996 in Northern California. Most of our volunteers and foster birds live in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento Valley. We are dedicated to rescuing companion birds (parrot-type and other commonly domesticated birds) who have been neglected, abused, injured or surrendered to us. Our goals are:

To ensure that birds in our care will have a safe, loving environment for life.
To educate bird owners on the most current standard of care, so that the medical, emotional, and dietary needs of their birds will be met.

All of the people dedicated to helping abused and abandoned birds are volunteers - we dedicate our love, time, homes, financial support etc. to helping companion birds who are in desperate need of a "forever home." The birds that we help often remain in our homes because we fall in love with them and they become family members, or, because we have so many birds that need forever homes many just stay with us.

One of the most special things about Mickaboo is that every life is valued to the highest extent possible - we do not consider the smallest, most plentiful birds like finches and budgies as "throw-away" birds that do not deserve the best food, medical care or housing. Sadly, many people think that birds do not have feelings and can be treated like a vegetable. On the contrary, from the largest macaws, to the smallest parakeet and finch, all birds get the best medical care, food, housing and love that we can give them. They are all precious to us.

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Mickaboo is an extraordinary organization. It is made up of individual volunteers from all over California and beyond who are brought together from their love of birds, particularly exotic birds. These individuals share information, educate the public, foster birds that need homes, connect lost or homeless birds with homes, and support bird owners everywhere. Most remarkably, Mickaboo raises funds to provide world-class veterinary care for pet birds regardless of size, age, or species.

Companion birds can have life spans longer than their adopted humans. Life circumstances such human health decline, finances, and death can make re-homing necessary. Mickaboo helps to mitigate grief and suffering of the birds and their humans by caring for birds in transition until a new home can be found.

Birds are intelligent, complex, and lovely to observe. They enrich our lives and provide a barometer for man's impact on the environment. Mickaboo is filling a critical niche that has been created by the pet industry- fostering quality of life for companion birds and their humans.

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I have been a volunteer with Mickaboo for about 14 years and I can not think of a more selfless, caring, giving group of people. I adopted my Tasha, a female Eclectus from them 7 years ago. They were ready with answers to all my questions and all the support I needed to provide her with a good home.
Each bird that is cared for in many foster homes receive proper food, toys to occupy them and plenty of love and attention. Hurray for MIckaboo.

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Mickaboo has filled my life with the joy of rescued birds. Parrots get short shrift in the US because they are so misunderstood and are often "owned" by people who ignore their need for socialization and activity or feed them poorly with seeds or abandon them in remote garages. Mickaboo volunteers are there to care for and to give love to these birds, often when they have medical and psychological problems. I am inspired by the volunteers.

If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...

Provide the resources to improve their communications, to tell their story better.

Would you volunteer for this group again?

Definitely

For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?

A lot

Did the organization use your time wisely?

Very Well

Would you recommend this group to a friend?

Definitely

When was your last experience with this nonprofit?

2014

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1 previous review

Rating:
5 stars
April 9, 201304/09/2013

Curiosity brought me to a Mickaboo Basic Bird class. I certainly had no intention of adopting a parrot--or any other animal. Discovering the intrigue of parrots, but also the plight of these magnificent creatures, sometimes abandoned in garages, maltreated by owners, or just out-living their owners, moved me to adopt my first parrot. Mickaboo volunteers gave me advice and support as I learned more and more about bird care.
I became even more impressed with the willingness of Mickaboo. a completely volunteer organization, to take on the burden of caring for the San Francisco wild flock--and not consider it a burden, but to view it as a privilege.
The next step was to become a volunteer foster parront myself. Five foster parrots later, I continue to be amazed at the caring and love these Mickaboo volunteers provide to their charges, nursing them back to health when they are ill, providing a supportive environment to crippled and disabled parrots, even providing "hospice" care for those parrots who will not recover.

Would you volunteer for this group again?

For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?

Life-changing

Did the organization use your time wisely?

Very Well

Would you recommend this group to a friend?

Definitely

When was your last experience with this nonprofit?

2013

Was this review helpful?

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1 previous review

Rating:
5 stars
October 3, 201210/03/2012

2 people found this review helpful

Ever since taking my basic bird care class from a Mickaboo volunteer teacher, I have been fostering paronting parrots. I have also enjoyed watching the actions of all the many wonderful volunteer who are willing to drop everything to rescue a lost parrot, or travel many miles to pick up a surrendered macaw or senegal parrot. They care for the parrots, feeding them better food, providing for veterinarian care.This is one of the finest organization I've had the pleasure of participating in.

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As a volunteer at San Jose Animal Services, working primarily with dogs and cats, I discovered Mickaboo when I stumbled across the "Bird Room." Although birds have been a part of my life for years, it never crossed my mind that they might end up in a shelter. I asked one of the rabbit volunteers, who told me about Mickaboo. I can't believe how very much I have learned about companion birds/parrots since taking the Basic Bird Class and then other classes, and reading through the list serve.

I learned that far too many exotic birds are bred for profit while there are thousands languishing in need of good homes throughout the country. Mickaboo has the privilege and responsibility of serving feathered friends and their human companions in our area and sometimes even in other areas.

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Mickaboo is my kind of non-profit because all the money donated goes directly to the birds in our care, and we volunteers also kick in a bit more. Mickaboo has no facility, just a whole lot of volunteers who take homeless birds into our homes and try to socialize them. In the process, we teach them to love and trust humans and in return are rewarded by the love our foster birds give back.

All birds who need vet care, get it. We don't euthanize unless there is a very serious reason and after all treatment has failed. I'm proud to be a member of Mickaboo.

I can say about volunteering, that my work has changed and even saved the lives of birds. You don't get that kind of satisfaction in most volunteer work.

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I never knew much about birds before Mickaboo, I thought birds were mainly for decoration or on TV. Then I met the people and birds at Mickaboo, and learned SO much more! Each bird has it's own personality, they are smart, and they have included me in their flock. Mickaboo has a great group of volunteers, teachers, and foster parents whose goal is to help abandoned or unwanted birds get the care they need and find permanent homes for them. They also have classes and adoption fairs to help others learn more about birds and spread the word about all the birds that are looking for a loving home. I'm so lucky to have found Mickaboo so I could learn what wonderful pets birds can be.

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I'm actually a client served and a donor....so didn't know which role to pick!

Mickaboo is an entirely volunteer run organization which helps pet birds who are abused, sick or abandoned to get medical care and foster and adoption homes. They help to treat the birds, paying for excellent medical care and get them fostered so they can be adopted; they also provide classes for potential adopters and screen adopters so the birds go to good homes and people understand how to take care of them.

I had an African Grey who is almost 30 years old. Through Mickaboo, we adopted a cockatoo last October. Even though I know a lot about parrots already, I attended the class. There is always more to learn. Someone came and did a home walkthrough and met us to make sure we were a good home for adopting our new guy.

For a grass roots all volunteer organization without even an office, this organization is really amazing.

I hope that I can foster more birds in the future. The cockatoo is a fearful one and still plucking, although less, and settling into the home and family. Once he's more stable, I hope to foster more birds so I can also help when there is a need to find a temporary home for these beautiful, intelligent animals.

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I adopted my first Mickaboo bird in 2006 and have since been volunteering for this organization. It is an outstanding organization with wonderful people who will go above and beyond for the care of incoming birds (i.e., in shelters, foster care). Mickaboo is on top of it and there is no bird left behind. If Mickaboo is not able to take in birds, a foster parent will step up to make room so that these birds can be given the life they deserve.